Dirigible headlight for motor vehicles



R. D. lNNIS.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1921.

TMSQSHOI Patented epfi. 26, 11922.

Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

ROBERT DONALD INNIS,

OF MAR IQN, INDIANA.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES,

Application filed July 5, 1921. Serial No. 482,343.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT DONALD INNIs, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Marion, county of Grant, and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DirigibleHeadlights for Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a full andclear specification.

The object of this invention is to simplify and improve that type ofheadlight-shifting devices operated by fluid-pressure, and the inventionconsists of certain novel features of construction hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the drawings- 1 Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 represent views of the preferredform of my apparatus applied to the steering-wheel of a well-known typeof vehicle.

In the drawing, I have illustrated but one set of devices. at one sideof the vehicle, but it will be understood that these devices areduplicated on the opposite side. In this construction, 5 designates theheadlight-casing which is rigidly mounted upon an upright tube 6, whichtube is rotatably supported at its lower end upon the upper end of anupright cylinder 7 aflixed, desirably, to the adjacent vehicle spring.The manner of attaching and supporting the tube 6 to the cylinder 7 maybe greatly varied; in the present instance I have shown the tube 6provided with an annular flange 8 which is confined between two sets ofroller-bearings 9, which bearings are held to the flange 8 by means of apair of telescoping caps 10 and 11 bolted to the head of the cylinder 7.

In the tube 6 is adapted to reciprocate a head 12 provided 'with lug 13engaging a spiral groove 14 formed in the interior of tube 6. The head12 is attached to a pair of piston-rods 15 which work through suitablestuffing-boxes in the head of cylinder 7 and are connected to a solid,i. e. valveless, piston 16 working in said cylinder 7.

Supported on the front axle 17 is another cylinder 18 similar indiameter to cylinder 7, and the respective ends of the cylinder 18 areconnected by tubes 19 and 20 to the respective ends of the aforesaidcylinder 7. In the cylinder 18 works a solid, i. e. valveless. piston 21connected to a piston-rod 22 working through one head of the cylinder 18and connected to the adjacent arm 23 of the usual steering-knuckle.

The operation of my device will be ap parent from the foregoing.Oscillations of the steering-knuckle 23 will be communicated to thepower-piston 21, and, by rea-- son of the liquid (preferably a heavyhydrocarbon) confined in the cylinders and the tubes, the movements ofpiston 21 will be duplicated in piston 16 and thus shift thecylinder-head 12 up and down Within the tube 6. The movements of thehead 12 (this head being held against rotation by the use of the twopiston-rods 15) will cause the tube 6, carrying with it the headlight,to rotate back and forth. It will thus be seen that the parts describedmay be so arranged as to cause the headlight to closely and promptlyfollow the movements of the steering-wheels and thus keep the rays fromthe headlight directed on the roadway ahead, irrespective of lateralcurvature thereof.

It is desirable that the piston-rod 22 shall be connected to theknuckle-arm 23 by an adjustable clamp24 so that binding in the operationof the device will be avoided; this binding of the parts will be furtheravoided by mounting {the power-cylinder 18 so as to have a pivotalaction on the pivot 25 carried by the axle. It will be observed alsothat the displacement of the single piston-rod 22 in the power-cylindermust equal the displacement of the two'piston-rods 15 in the cylinder 7,so that a given movement of the power-piston will always cause anexactly similar movement of the fluid-actuated piston 16.

It will beunderstood that the device will be operative with thetwo'cylinders 7 and 18 similar in cubical area or the cylinders may beof different cubical capacities so long as they are )roportionate forinstance,

the power cylin er 18 may have twice the 1 capacity as the actuatorcylinder 7, it being simply essential that the screw-thread groove 14shall. have the pitch necessary to, give the headlight the necessaryangular movement with a given stroke of the actuatorhead 12; also theactuator cylinder 7 may be twice as large as the lower, power cylinder,the movement of the piston- 16 being thereby reduced by half, it beingof course necessary in this instance to decrease the pitch of thethread,making it more oblique.

For the purpose of assuring ease of movement of the actuator-head incylinder 6, I avoid compressing the air in the upper end of thiscylinder 6 by providing an airvent 6.

The nature and scope of the invention having been thus indicated and itspreferred embodiment having been specifically described, what is claimedas new is:

1. In an apparatus of the class set forth, a rotatable headlight, afluid-actuated means rotating the headlight, and a power-actuated meansfor actuating the aforesaid means from the steering gear of the vehicle,said power-actuated means embodying a cylinder pivotally mounted on thevehicle, a piston and piston-rod therefor, and means for adjustablyattaching the piston-rod to the steering knuckle.

2. In an apparatus of the class set forth, a fluid power deviceconnected to the knuckle of the steering mechanism of the vehicleembodying a cylinder pivotally mounted on the vehicle and a pistonWorking therein, and a headlight-turning mechanism embodying a cylinderand a piston therein, the two cylinders having their respective endsconnected together by a pair of flexible conduits.

3. In an apparatus of the class set forth, a rotatable headlight andneans for actuating it from an adjacent part of the steering mechanism oithe vehicle embodying an upright tube and a spiral groove in itsinterior, an actuating head engaging said asoseo groove, and means formoving said head up and down.

4. in an apparatus of the class set forth, a rotatable headlight andmeans for actuating it from an adjacent part of the steering mechanismof the vehicle embodying an upright tube and a spiral groove in,,itsinterior, an actuating head engaging said groove, and means for movingsaid head up and down embodying a fluid-actuated piston, and a fluidpower piston actuated from the steering-knuckle of the vehicle.

5. In an apparatus of the class set forth, a power cylinder and a. solidpiston therein, the latter. being connected to the steering mechanism ofthe vehicle, a fluid-actuated piston working in a cylinder, meansconnecting this piston with a turnable headlight, and two tubesconnecting the respective ends of the power cylinder with the respectiveends of the actuating cylinder.

6. In an apparatus of the class set forth, an upright cylinder, a pistonworking therein having a piston-rod extending out through the top end orthe cylinder, a rotatable tube mounted upon the top end of the cylinderand carrying a headlight at its upper end, means whereby reciprocationof said piston will rotate said tube, and fluid power means actuated bythe steering mechanism of the vehicle for reciprocating said piston,

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature,

ROBERT DQNLALD LNNIS.

